Connecting joints are usually formed when different building parts meet. Connecting joints are found in the region of connection to the inter-story ceiling, to the floor and to massive walls. Due to weight loading or thermal influences, the ceiling in buildings may be forced upward or downward. To prevent damage to the drywall, the upper connecting joint in this case is made as an expansion joint. Thus joints for creating discontinuities in building parts in order to prevent stress cracking are known as expansion joints. The ceiling profile is made in such a way that a relative movement between ceiling profile and the vertical wall components is possible.
In general, a channel profile constituting part of the studwork is fastened to the connecting building parts. The gypsum boards themselves are attached at a well-defined spacing to the connecting building part. Usually sealing of the system is provided in the gap between gypsum board and ceiling. For this purpose, either a suitable sealing compound is introduced, processed with joint spray, or else the gap is provided with a joint cord or filled with mineral wool and provided at the surface with a sealing layer. In these cases, the material present in the joint presents relatively strong resistance to movement, with the consequence that comparatively large joint widths are necessary in order to achieve adequate movement absorption.
Different methods for manufacturing profile elements, such as profile strands and joint cords, for sealing of building-structure joints, especially connecting joints, against smoke and fire are known from the prior art.
DE 3038524 A1 describes an expansion-joint tape, which is provided with a flexible tube, wherein the expansion-joint tape is introduced into a joint between the concrete elements. The flexible tube is used to fill subsequently with further joint material, such as polyurethane, in order to seal the joint at a later time, but this makes mounting and handling difficult.
DE 4006997 A1 describes a method and an apparatus for manufacturing profile strands of fire-protection foam materials using a reaction mixture that is prepared in a mixer then filled into a closed, flexible and airtight film tube, wherein the film tube is removed before use of the profile strand.
DE 102010008570 A1 describes a method for manufacturing a fire-protection joint cord, wherein an intumescent foam flows into a tube and is foamed. A disadvantage in DE 102010008570 A1 is the predetermined diameter of the tube as well as backing-up of the material compound that may occur during the manufacturing process or is insufficient material compound in the manufactured joint cord.
The prior art systems exhibit further additional disadvantages, such as, for example, considerable time consumption during manufacture due to complex steps of cleaning of the system or due to tedious setting-up, high costs, buildup of the joint cord or of the profile element comprising several components or complex construction elements, poor cuttability, high weight or very inconvenient mounting for building-structure joints, especially for connecting joints.
The object of the invention is therefore to provide a method for manufacturing a profile element for sealing building-structure joints, especially for sealing against sound and smoke and optionally against fire, which method avoids the disadvantages of the known methods. In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for continuous and endless manufacture of such a profile element.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that permits cost-effective, economic, continuous and endless manufacture of a profile element.
A further object of the present invention is to provide the use of the profile element manufactured according to the invention for acoustic, smokeproof and/or fireproof sealing of connecting joints in drywalls, especially of expansion joints.
These and further objects that will become apparent from the description of the invention hereinafter are solved by the present invention, as described in the independent claims. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments.